How to improve your chance of getting a house sitting job

House sitting can be a competitive game – especially in sought-after suburbs.

People who seek house sitters are very protective of their home and their pets – as anyone would be. When you’re essentially letting a stranger into your home, you want to rest assured they are trustworthy and will look after your home with the same respect that you would – and even more importantly, your fur babies. In the six years that my partner and I house sat, we learnt a lot about what sort of attributes and qualities people look for in a house sitter. 

What are home owners looking for in a house sitter?

References

Having a few written references is great. Then when you apply for a house sit, you can send them through straight away. You can also have them on your sitter profile. To make it even better, ask your referee if they would be happy to include their phone number for people to ring them for a verbal reference. On many occasions, we found that when the homeowners spoke to other homeowners about their positive experience with us, they were more likely to say yes.

Police checks

Getting a local police check is inexpensive, highly valuable and provides extra peace of mind.

Register with a reputable website

Being a member of Aussie House Sitters for six years meant that we were ‘pre-approved’ and had our IDs verified.

Be a good communicator

Returning phone calls and having a fast response rate on the Aussie website can all help you get chosen.

Be flexible

The more locations in which you’re willing to house sit, the bigger variety of pets you’re willing to look after, the more house jobs you can take on – the better your chances are of being picked.

Be honest

Be upfront about yourself and your work – and how much time you will be spending at the house. Obviously, people prefer sitters who will be at the house more often than not. Working from home is a bonus, but it’s not a requirement. Some pets require less ‘human time’ than others. But if there are two puppies, for example, chances are leaving them at home all day alone is not appropriate. Some sits will be more suitable to your lifestyle than others. Don’t waste people’s time in applying for sits that aren’t suitable for you – and just be honest!

Most of these things are easy to do.

Just remember that sometimes house sitting is a numbers game – and you won’t always get every house sit you apply for.

We often met with or spoke to people but didn’t get chosen either because someone beat us to it by five minutes, had more experience, or were simply more suited to what the homeowners were looking for. Some people advertise for a single sitter only – that immediately ruled us out. Sometimes people’s situations change – their holiday is cancelled, or perhaps they find a relative to look after the pet instead. It’s all part of the house sitting experience.

So be prepared to be flexible – but house sitting is highly worth it!